And So the Vultures Circle
by ceruleanmoon
Summary: Fifteen year old Caitriona moves from Chicago to New York and is forced to live a totally differnt lifestyle. Then she meets the newsies but is it really for the best? please give it a chance thanks
1. Leaving Chicago

This is my first story so sorry if there are a lot of mistakes and thank you for reading my story.  
  
And from now until forever I don't own newsies...... unfortunately.  
  
Chapter 1   
  
I ran as fast as I could up the fire escape. I knew my brother James would be home from work any minute and he would not be happy that I had snuck out again.  
  
"Shit", I yelled, as I fell and banged my knee on the cold metal stairs. I got up as quick as I could and although now my knee was throbbing I had to get back in time. 'Why was I always so clumsy?' I thought as I lifted the window to our tiny Chicago apartment. I climbed through the window and came face to face with James. He looked furious. I'd snuck out plenty of times in the past and he hadn't caught me. But unfortunately it was the second time this week that he had, I guess I was getting careless.  
  
"Where the hell were you this time?" he said angrily as if he were ready to burst.  
  
"I went out for your information. What do you think you can just lock me in here for days?" I said icily.  
  
"Its not safe why don't you ever fucking listen! You can't just go ignoring me. I don't want what happened to them to happen to you too."  
  
"And what did happen to them?" I said knowing that we had had this conversation many times before but yet he still wouldn't tell. He glared at me. I knew I had brought up a sore subject but I really didn't care. I hated how he thought he could control me. "They were my parents too I have a right to know! But you have to think your helping by not telling me. Well locking me in this damn apartment all day doesn't help one bit. I'm fricking sick of you not letting me do anything and being so overprotective. Why don't you just leave me alone and let me live my own damn life!" I yelled right in his face. I watched his reaction and he looked a lot madder then before. Apparently I'd hit a nerve...  
  
"Thats it I've had it with you. I raised you since you were 5. I spent 10 years of my life sharing everything I ever had with you. I protected you from the pain I have to bare. You would think you would be glad that I did all that for you, but instead you go sneaking out and blaming me for everything. All you are is an ungrateful little bitch. You don't deserve anything."  
I glared up at him staring into his blue-green eyes that currently looked like a stormy sea with golden flecks. The same as mine. I reached out to slap him before I even realized what I was doing. He caught my arm in a steely grip and hissed, "If your not going to listen to me then fine I'm not going to put up with it anymore. I'm sending you to Aunt Linda's." I defiantly hadn't expected this.  
  
"You don't even know Aunt Linda why would you send me there?" I asked suspiciously.  
  
"Because it would be safer for you there and because I wouldn't have to worry about you or support you and maybe I could finally have a chance to live my life," he said.  
  
"Fine!" I said extremely annoyed at him, as I stomped off to pack my bags.  
  
sorry short chapter please review I'm open to any comments, suggestions or criticism .... lol i need help. thanks and sorry to start off with a fight and if it seems awkward I promise i'll try to make it better 


	2. The Search for Aunt Linda

thank you so much to my 2 reviewers i really appreciate it you made my day  
  
Smiley Cad- thank you this chapter will probably answer your questions about Aunt Linda but she does come back later in the story. and that so cool how your name is Cadriana almost like my character  
  
Ccatt- thank you this chapter probably will take away most of the mystery about how she meets up with the newsies but I hope i can keep at least some mystery in this story lol  
  
Chapter 2  
  
I rested my head on the hard glass window of the train staring out at Chicago. The tall buildings looked majestic in the early morning light. Even though I had always lived there I had never really gotten a chance to explore it, as my brother had always tried to keep me inside. He never had told me why but I knew something had happened to our parents and it had really traumatized him. I guess he had put it upon himself that nothing would happen to me. I just wished he would of found a way to do this without isolating me from everything throughout my childhood. I signed to myself and heard the whistle blow as I felt the train begin to move. I scanned the group of people outside for James. I saw him and waved. He had a solemn look on him face as did I, and I knew that we both wished I could stay. But I knew this was probably for the best and I had to say goodbye.  
  
As the train got moving I decided to try to get comfortable for the trip. I moved my bag under the seat and tried to lean back in my chair and rest but a overpowering unpleasant scent hit my nose and looked around to see what it could be. I groaned as I realized it was the supposedly expensive perfume of the woman sitting next to me. She was wearing what seemed to be a hot, scratchy fur coat and was babbling on to her poor husband about the prices of going across seas on some elaborate vacation. She turned to me as if she had heard and he eyes ran over my old green shirt which I had obviously out grown and my brothers hand-me-down black pants. She sniffed and moved a little away from me and starting complaining about this train not having first class seats. I groaned again leaning my head against the window.  
  
---2 hours later---  
  
I awoke to being jabbed in the stomach by an elbow. I jumped and immediately pushed who ever it was off of me. It took a few seconds to realize it was the stuffy woman sitting next to me. She apparently was trying to pull something away from her husband and I guess he had let go. They were arguing over something and I really didn't care what it was I just wanted to get off this train. I heard someone say we should be arriving soon and I picked up my bag. I looked through it to find the address where Aunt Linda lived In Queens and her picture. Unfortunately my brother hadn't known her last name. She was supposedly divorced and had possibly remarried. I didn't know what I was going to do if I couldn't find her. I looked back to her picture she looked only vaguely like the pictures of my mom, who was her sister. I wasn't sure I would enjoy living with her but I had to at least try it for my brother.  
  
The train began to slow and I closed my bag and stuffed the papers in my pocket. I looked out of the window to see what my new home would look like. I smiled to myself as I thought 'Its another big city just like before, except I get to explore this one.' The train came to a stop and I waited impatiently in my seat as the woman gathered her many bags and started to go through her makeup case in search of something. She didn't seem like she was going to leave anytime soon so when our train car had almost cleared out, I jumped over the seat in front of us and left. I passed through the busy train station and out onto the streets of New York.  
  
I had searched Queens for over an hour but I still hadn't found the right street. I had tried asking a few people for directions, including a boy selling newspapers but no one would help me. I finally found the right street and began my search for the street number.  
  
When I had finally found the right house I was surprised. It looked almost fancy and was very clean and even had a small but well kept garden. I knocked on the door but no one answered. I waited a while, not wanting to shock her by just walking into her house. She hadn't been expecting me and the last time she saw me I was 4. Finally I began to get impatient and after one more knock on her door I opened it slightly.  
  
"Aunt Linda?" I called. I was greeted by silence so I walked inside and was shocked by what I saw.  
  
The house was extravagantly furnished but it looked like a hurricane had gone through it. I wandered a little further, curious if it was the result of just bad housekeeping or something more. I entered another room and saw broken figurines scattered on the floor and the painting that had a hole in it as if it had been punched. I looked on the walls and saw they were bare except for nails that must of once help many other paintings. Then I looked up at the ceiling to see a chain hanging down from where a chandelier had been. It took a few minutes for it sink in that she had been robbed.  
  
I wandered around her house a little more to make sure she wasn't there. I found many more broken things and almost tripped on a smashed vase. I jumped when I thought I heard noise and I suddenly realized that I shouldn't be there. I was stupidly wondering through someone's house that had just been robbed and the thief could still be in there. I'm such an idiot,' I thought.  
  
I left as fast as I could and went in search of one of the cops I had seen wandering the streets earlier. It didn't take me to long to find one. He was a rather chubby cop and was strutting down the sidewalk as if he owned it and was swinging a club. I grimaced. I had never really liked the cops and I still remembered being chased by one in Chicago, but I figured this situation called for their help.  
  
"Officer?" I asked. He spun around looking annoyed at me.  
  
"What do you want?" he said coldly.  
  
"Officer someone robbed my aunts house. I came to live with her from Chicago and I went to her house and I cant find her and everything is broken. When I was in the house I thought I heard noise I think the robber might still be there," I said.  
  
He looked at me suspiciously but agreed to check it out. I led him to her house and on the way he met up with another cop who came with us. We entered the house and they looked around a little.  
  
"Well, she definitely was robbed," he stated.  
  
I looked at him and felt a little indignant. 'What did he think I just went around making up stories like this for the hell of it.'  
  
"Why don't you go wait in the kitchen while we investigate more," he said.  
  
I stumbled around the house until I found the kitchen which was one of the few rooms that had not been destroyed. I sat down on the floor feeling like a little girl who had been excused from the room because someone felt she was to immature to handle the information. I felt frustrated and started to take my anger out on the hem of my pants.  
  
Half an hour later the they burst into the room and I stood up expectantly.  
  
"Did you find out anything," I asked.  
  
"We know who did it," he said.  
  
"Wow the was fast. Have you seen my Aunt or do you have any idea where...."  
He cut me off.  
  
"Comon goily drop the act. We know it was you," said the second cop. I stared at him not believing he had just said that. Then I just felt mad.  
  
"What the hell!!!?! Why would it be me? I just got into this damn city today. Why would steal from my own aunt? And even more so why would I go and be the one who tells you afterwards?" I yelled angrily.  
  
"Watch you language goily. And you coming and telling us was to try to get us off your path, and make us think you wouldn't be the one who did it. But you were wrong. Now come here, we have to take you to the refuge," he said.  
  
"No your the one who's wrong. I didn't do it. Your don't even have proof," I said angrily. He lunged at me but I punched him in the gut and was surprised when he stumbled back a few steps into the other cop. I climbed out the window and took off down the street running as fast as I could.  
  
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please review and tell me what you think anything would b helpful. thanks sorry if parts of this were boring i'm starting to wonder if writing this in first person was a bad idea lol 


	3. Rain and Teardrops

just so u know from now on all my chapters will be told from the omniscient point of view.....probably unless i change my mind again I'm so indecisive...  
  
WannabeNewsieGoil- lol thanks heres chappy 3 hope you like it Smiley Cad- bad cop lol and Aunt Linda comes back later but i stick to the idea i had before she's mean sorry Ccatt- haha stupid cop that sounded like a lot of fun though TheAngryPrincess13- oo yes i know what you mean wink lol  
  
thank you all so much for reviewing and sorry I'm not writing out long shout outs like I should but I think I'm falling asleep and I really want to update tonight  
  
Chapter 3   
  
The sun was starting to set and Caitriona had finally stopped running. She felt she had put enough distance between her and Aunt Linda's house and she was out of breath. But now as she looked to the setting sun she realized she had a new problem on her hands. She had no where to go and was alone and the streets of New York. She had no idea where she was but she started to search for a place to stay.  
  
Caitriona looked in her pockets. She hardly had any money, but at least she still had her bag which had been over her shoulder since she left the train. She walked for hours peeking into store's windows just waiting for some kinda old woman to let he spent the night in her shop, but she had come to the Bronx and no one came to help her.  
  
A cool wind blew and it was clear the fall was not far off. Caitriona shivered as the wind went right through her and the rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. She stopped and set down her bag on a crate, in the opening of and alley, to look for her old worn jacket. She was having trouble finding it when she suddenly stiffened and thought she heard footsteps behind her. The footsteps stopped immediately, and Caitriona slowly turned around. About eight feet away stood a boy who looked about 18. He was a foot taller than her and had piercing, dark gray eyes, so dark they were almost black.  
  
"Whatcha doing out this late doll face?" he said. She took a step away and was ready to set off running, but then she realized she couldn't leave her bag. It was the only thing she had left. He took a step closer and an evil grin crept across his face.  
  
"You'se didn't ans'er the question," he said taking another step. A chill went through Caitrionas spine and she felt her hand shaking. She was always used to her brother protecting her, and now she was truly afraid.  
  
"What's it to you?" she asked, looking deep into the strangers eyes in an attempt to act like she wasn't afraid. But her plan had turned against her. She wouldn't be surprised if he had actually killed a few people from what she had seen in those eyes, for they are truly the windows to ones soul. He looked as if he were about to take another step closer and Caitriona could risk that. She darted forward in an attempt to grab her bag and flee, but he reached out and grabbed her arm pulling her into the alleyway.  
  
"Get away from me you creep!" she shrieked, trying to pull away. He laughed and the sound echoed in her ears. She punched him in the jaw and he was caught off guard, but he soon hit her back and she clutched her stomach, moving forward to punch him again. They continued fighting but Caitriona was loosing, though she wasn't weak, her sheltered lifestyle was no match for his years of living and fighting on the streets. He pinned her against the wall and held her hands above her head in one of his hands and let the other trail down her side.  
  
"What the hell are you doing get away from me! she screamed.  
  
"Shhh doll face. No ones gonna hear ya, 'sides we could have a lotta fun," he said, his hand stopping suggestively just below her hip. She glared at him part of her not believing this was happening. How dare he think that she thought to herself, rage growing inside of her. She stared at him defiantly.  
  
"I don't think so," she said slowly annunciating each word. She smacked his head with her own, taking him totally by surprise. He moved back a little and his grip on her hands loosened. She kneed him in the crotch and watched as he keeled over on the concrete. She kicked him in the side and ran out of the ally, hearing his moans of pain behind her. She grabbed her bag and for the second time that day took off down the street, as the first raindrops of the storm began to fall.  
  
She ran as the storm raged and finally she couldn't run anymore and stumbled into another alley. Her bag fell from her shoulder as she ducked behind a pile of crates and curled up, wrapping her arms around her legs. She felt the tears coming and tired desperately to be strong, but her breath was choked by a sob and she couldn't hold in the tears any longer. She cried until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, her tears mixing with the raindrops on her face.  
  
  
  
please review as always I'm open to anything whether you thought it was good or bad thanks 


	4. Into the Night

AngryPrincess13- thank you for reviewing and hopefully the sexulicous newsies will finally come in next chapter lol I don't know why I made it take so long sorry and Happy Birthday!!  
  
Chapter 4   
  
The next day Caitriona decided she would have to go back and look for Aunt Linda and try to explain to her what happened. But she decided that the police would be looking for her and so she waited until the next day and spent the last of her money on a loaf of bread and an apple.  
  
She slept in an alley again and before the sunrise she set off to Queens. She tried to stay out of sight incase the cops were still after her and approached Aunt Linda's house just as the break of dawn could be seen on the horizon. She crept along the side of the house and peeked into one of the windows in search of Aunt Linda but she saw no sign that anyone was home. The rooms looked much as they had before except broken things had been pushed into large piles throughout the house. She got frustrated and decided she would have to go inside to know for sure if she was home. She pushed open a small window and crawled through. Caitriona cautiously tip- toed through the house, even checking the bedrooms, but her search was in vain and their was no sign of Aunt Linda.  
  
She finally returned to the window and climbed out but to her dismay she could see a few people hurrying by, and sunlight was streaming down the street.  
  
"Damn," she muttered absentmindedly as she approached the street. She peered out carefully scanning the street for cops and was relieved when she saw none. She walked down the street waiting for the chance to find a side road and take off in a sprint but she didn't know this city and wasn't having much luck finding one.  
  
"Hey you, goily, stop," she heard as a cop approached her from behind. She recognized his voice as the second cop from before, and ran as fast as she could. She glanced over her shoulder and was surprised that he was keeping up with her. He was more athletic than he seemed. In an effort to lose him she turned down what she thought was a street, but turned out to be an alley. She started muttering inaudible obscenities but her face brightened when she noticed the fire escape. She used her experience from when she had dashed up fire escapes in Chicago and managed to reach the top just as the cop walked into the alley.  
  
"Comon goily I know your here. Jus' come out now and save you'self the trouble," he said breathing heavily from his run. Caitriona smirked as she peeked over the edge of the roof looking down at him. He had started kicking over crates in an attempt to destroy any hiding places.  
  
"You'se know you'se on the wanted list and we'll be after ya. You caused quite a bit of damage and we'll catch up to ya. You'se can't expect to get away with it," he said kicking over a garbage can. When the last possible hiding place in the alley had finally been demolished, the cop looked around furiously.  
  
"You'se won't get away with it goily, ya hear me we'll hunt you'se down like a dog," he said angrily walking out of the alley. Apparently it hadn't occurred to him that she had been able to climb the fire escape that fast.  
  
In her mind Caitriona had been victorious and was still free, but his words haunted her. And as she hid by an air vent she knew she couldn't come back here. She didn't even know if he aunt still lived here and now the cops were searching for her. She slept there all day and woke up when it was night time. She slowly descended the fire escape and walked down the street slowly making her way back to the alley in the Bronx where she had left her bag. When she finally got there she was tired and so many thoughts bombarded her. She crawled behind the crates again, and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Caitriona spent the next few weeks living on the streets of the Bronx, struggling to survive. She almost starved when her loaf of bread ran out but she became desperate and took to thievery finding she could work best at night. She set out as the sun was setting and returned to the same alley to stash her loot behind a loose brick, near where her bag was hidden under some rubbish. However she was careful never to sleep in the same place and always had to find somewhere new to go before the rays of sunlight caressed the earth. Caitriona had almost become nocturnal and found she thrived in the darkness and was strangely comforted by the black of night. As time passed the once welcoming blue green of her eyes had grown a steely glint and her only contact with people was when fighting or stealing from them. She became set in her ways and closed herself off in her own little world.  
  
Caitriona started to become paranoid that some one would follow her and discover all that she had stolen and in turn steal it from her. She didn't like having to always return to the same place to store her things. One day after she swore she saw someone following her, Caitriona packed her loot in her bag and decided to hide her things some where new each day. She unconsciously was heading southwest as she continued her routine of robbing people under the cloak of night and sleeping during the day.  
  
  
  
please review and tell me what you think thanks 


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